The present invention relates to warehousing systems and more particularly, to automated or semi-automated conveyor systems for warehouses.
Heretofore efforts have been made to increase the efficiency of warehousing systems in filling of orders from a variety of stores and delivering these items from a plurality of storage racks to a proper location or loading dock.
An example of one prior system may be found in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,311 entitled WAREHOUSE APPARATUS AND METHOD WITH ARTICLE LABEL PRINTING MEANS and issued on May 22, 1973 to Thompson et al. The system disclosed therein includes a plurality of parallel, spaced storage racks and a mobile picking unit. The picking unit includes an operator platform movable vertically to place it in register with the various levels of the racks. The articles are picked and a destination code is placed therein. The articles are then placed on a pivotable elevator conveyor and directed to an output conveyor. The articles may then be conveyed to a sortation conveyor. The sortation conveyor typically includes a plurality of diverter mechanisms and a control system to sense the destination code and activate the appropriate diverter to divert the articles to a predetermined loading or marshalling area.
If the conveyor systems are designed as an integral part of the warehouse, various problems may be experienced relating to efficiency of operation, full use of available manpower and ability to readily adapt to expansion of the warehouse facility. One form of integrated warehouse system includes a vertical lift for depositing an automatic picker cart on one of a plurality of vertically spaced tracks extending along opposed rows of storage racks. The picker carts are programmed to proceed along the tracks to a pre-programmed location, remove a pallet of articles and return to the vertical lift. This type of system is not readily adapted to "batch" picking wherein orders for several stores are picked at one time. An integrated design approach is automated or semi-automated warehousing may require specialized conveyor structures especially adapted for the space available and the type of rack structures employed. Maximum versatility in both batching of orders and in use of order selection personnel will generally not be obtained. The systems presently available have not been readily adapted to existing warehouses of the type including a plurality of parallel, elongated rows of multiple level storage racks. Also existing systems, as set forth above, are not easily expanded should the number of storage racks be increased after installation of the original system.